Norris has dominated at Minute Maid Park in the past. But the road was cruel to him in 2012, as the 28-year-old went 3-12 with a 6.94 ERA.

Friday, Norris was the best player on a field that featured high-priced stars Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. And the Astros’ opening-day starter unloaded his best outing of the early season, one game after throwing 122 pitches during a frustrating loss to Oakland.

“He was outstanding,” Porter said. “This guy’s a No. 1 starter. He’s pitched a lot of big games. His best years are definitely ahead of him and he’s growing up right in front of our eyes and it’s a pleasure to see. He was outstanding last game and gave us everything that we needed. And (Friday) was absolutely fantastic.”

Wright said he could tell Norris was a different pitcher when spring training started. After dealing with trade rumors throughout the offseason, Norris responded by leading the Astros on and off the field. His three regular-season starts this year have included an opening-night nationally televised win against the Rangers, a gutsy 122-pitch outing against Oakland and Friday’s shutdown of the Angels.

“He’s definitely maturing as a pitcher. I definitely see a different presence about him,” Wright said. “He’s embraced being the opening-day starter and being No. 1 and that’s what No. 1 guys do. They go out there and they want the ball — home, road or whatever the case might be — and they compete. And that’s what he’s been doing and the results have been there.”

Norris improved to 2-1 this season with a 1.96 ERA. He’s 4-1 with a 1.14 in his last five starts dating back to the end of 2012.

The righty insisted his start Friday wasn’t any different than previous big games he’s thrown. And he credited catcher Jason Castro with a defensive approach that relied on three pitches, limited Angels 2-4 hitters Mike Trout, Pujols and Hamiton to 1-for-10 with three strikeouts, and didn’t allow a Los Angeles runner reach second base.

“When I got that groove going, I felt like I could just keep going. … I didn’t really have any red-light innings in that regard. I just stuck with Castro for the majority of the night and he was great back there,” said Norris, whose altered pregame preparation for road games includes increased scouting reports and earlier stretching.

He added: “I don’t have to prove anything to anybody. My teammates (are) the only guys that I’m trying to prove it to. You guys can write what you want to write and say what you want to say. But this is for my team and my manager and the guys in this clubhouse. Because I know that we’ve come together as a unit and it’s been really fun to watch these last couple days. It’s been some adversity early in the year. But we’ve got the ball rolling and we want to keep it going.”

Running away

The start to the Angels’ 2013 season only got weirder Friday. Not only was high-priced Los Angeles shut out by the low-payroll Astros, but star slugger Josh Hamilton and his .179 batting average ended the game by running off the field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Hamilton was on first when designated hitter Mark Trumbo fouled out to Castro. Once Castro set himself and turned around to face the infield, Hamilton was past second base and on his way to third. The former American League most valuable player didn’t slow down, choosing to run into the Angels’ dugout while Astros second baseman Jose Altuve ran toward first. A throw from Castro followed, two outs were recorded on one play, and the Astros ended the Angels’ night thanks to Hamilton’s mental mistake.

“I was kind of surprised,” Altuve said.

Top two

Justin Maxwell (.359 batting average) has paired well with Altuve in the two-hole. Maxwell has an eight-game hitting streak and hit his first homer of the season Friday during the second inning. He also clubbed a double during the first frame, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Astros have outscored their opponents 21-1 during the initial three innings of their last three games and the 1-2 pairing of Altuve and Maxwell — unorthodox because of Maxwell’s high-strikeout potential — has initially been a hit. Add in power hitters Chris Carter and Carlos Pena swinging improved bats, and the Astros’ early-game run production has suddenly soared.

“We have been searching for that,” Porter said. “Maxwell has settled in to that two spot quite nicely. He and Altuve’s been doing a great job getting on base.”

Notes

Rick Ankiel is 3-for-8 with a homer and five RBIs since an 0-for-13 slump. … Altuve is tied for sixth overall in MLB in hits (15) and tops all second basemen.